Become a better shooter with NRA Marksmanship Qualification

Are you a new shooter who's been following our coverage of the different NRA championships this summer and think it looks like a lot of fun? Have you only been out to the range a few times and are a little nervous about going out there with seasoned shooters? You might be interested in the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program.

Competitive shooting is a great way to exercise your Second Amendment rights, but it can be tough to find a match in your area. If you can't take a lot of time off work and/or don't want to travel a long ways to a match, or you're not ready to score and shoot with the pros yet, what can you do?

The Winchester Marksmanship Qualification Program is a great medium between shooting in matches and putting a few rounds into targets at the local range. The program lets shooters participate in an individual activity that encourages the development and improvement of your marksmanship skills and even provides prizes along the way.

Qualification shooting can be completely informal and is available throughout the entire year. The program sets milestones for progress and it's up to you to go out and reach them at whatever pace you want.

As you progress through the program and reach the different rating levels, you'll receive a medal, certificate and patch to recognize your shooting prowess. Everyone starts out with a large discipline patch and the rating patches are smaller so that they can be arranged around the larger one.

While the program starts at the basic levels (Pro-Marksman, Marksman), shooters will travel up the ladder to intermediate levels (Marksman 1st Class, Sharpshooter, Expert) and eventually the nationally recognized skill level - Distinguished Expert - the pinnacle of the program. The Distinguished Expert rating is parallel to a competitively classified Sharpshooter. From there you can jump to that classification tree and rise to Expert, Master and High Master.

The beauty of the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program is that shooting can be conducted anywhere -- on public ranges, at your favorite club range, even on your own home range. Because of this, the program is run on the honor system and there's no incentive to cheat since you're just working on marksmanship and not competing with other shooters.

Air gun qualification courses are especially suited for informal home air gun ranges and family learning environments, so good news for all you BB and pellet gun shooters. Parents can shoot side by side with their children or start a neighborhood air gun shooting sports program for their children and their friends.

BB gun, air rifle, shotgun, muzzleloader, pistol, rifle, the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program has it all and anyone can participate. Check out their website for more information and start having some individual or group fun that can last a lifetime.